Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission

The Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission (17 August 1943) was a strategic bombing mission carried out by the US Air Force against the German cities of Schweinfurt and Regensburg during World War II. The double strike failed, as a quarter of the Allied bombers were lost on the mission.

The USAF decided to bomb a ball-bearing factory at Schweinfurt and an aircraft factory in Regensburg, both located in Bavaria, during its campaign of attacks on German war industries. The Allies combined the two missions with the goal of overstretching German air defenses, but the targets were deep inside Germany, far beyond the range of US escort fighters. The Regensburg force, equipped with extra fuel, was to fly on to North Africa after the bombing; the Schweinfurt bombers had to make it back to eastern England. As soon as the fleets of B-17s crossed into Germany, Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Focke-Wulf Fw 190s swarmed to attack them. The bombers suffered heavy losses before reaching their targets, and they were expected to fly a steady course through Flak 88 fire to achieve an accurate drop. Not surprisingly, many went far astray, even bombing the open countryside. The Schweinfurt target, masked by a smokescreen, was virtually undamaged. By the time survivors managed to land in North Africa or East Anglia, over a quarter of the original bomber force had been lost.